Safety engine-cranking device.



A. E. SLATTERY.

SAFETY ENGINE CRANKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-8.1916.

Patented May 15,'1917.

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Specicaiion of Leiters Pat-ent.

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,.UY, -O MENEAPLIS, MINNESOTA.

Patented May 15, 19j-'11.

.@.ppicaon le Feiirnery 8, 1916. Serial No. 77,085.

om 'may conce/.r11

thee livnsfrm E SLATrEnr, cizizen the :ijpois in ine-county .of Hennepin of Tvfiinneson, have invented new end neeiui improvements in Sefey Aiingine-` racese ci which the following is ein y.

ie invcinion reiaes io Safety engine devices; the object in view being to conneceien with. en iniernel corne gine, e cranka andmeens eeringcrenk wherec engine elicit arterie izo turn' in ce v ong direciion Jhe eierting crenkwil meeiceiy dieconnecied from che en me shin c1nd; iocked'in e seic position ine han cene/ed io turn in the direi ion. The coneiruciion is of g@ e ie chereoer end ie ebsoiutely reiieble' i ""ii A and Gids any poeeihiiiiy of i r i of Le 'nor being injured or 'E .een in cese neck fire which is usually d the spark` of che igniion too fer. l

che invention consists in the novel constr'ncision. conibineio i end errengenieni; of peres, i rein described, illustrated and cimmed.

accompanying drnwingoze- Q i i' e ie iiivenion iiiustreiing `the Areci mbe @bien engine;

eide v eo tv ie drawings, 1 designates reel-:rr Jche cre, i combustion engine, 2 '3 tire-crank nendie.

starting crenlr and I n i n ie starving crank 2 1s 5 provided with o, huis which surrounds thel f vviiiie the seme time the shei 1 niefhe siied in the direciion of its iength w ceing the reiche?, Wheel 6..

The 1 ie peovidede; inner end with United States, res'ielinget 'secured to the fri.'

'Vieh 'che zihove and oher objects in nieve,

e e, eievneiono the creido n. i ce ehe cranking she-ft of an S M I c or etering Sheff: of en interne] e clutch member 11 adapted to engage' a corresponding ciutch member on the adjacent` end oi the engine crank shaft (not shown), ivhile'at its opposite endvthe shaft 1 is by preference provided with a head 12f0r the convenience of the operaor in pshin rthe shaft 1 toward' `ehe engine Sheff,` in or erto bring he clutch member 11 of Said shaft;

into.. engagement; with the corresponding clutch member on the engine shaft. 13 .designates an ennulus preferably formedwith'a V-shziped periphery or Work- 1 ing fece le.. Theefnnulus '13 is carried by a supporting frame ldapted to 'be xedly ne of the machine or to the body of the engine so that the frame 15 vand .the annulus 13 are held 'stationary or prevented from rotating., v16 ,designates sliding latch member, the innerextremity ci which is adapted to engage the teethof fthe ratchet wheel 6 as best shown in Fig. 1.

The latch member 16 is slidabie longitudi? nelly of ihe Starting' crank 2 ina guide way l? formed therein, the latch 16 being yieldingly held inwerdly so as to engage the yratchet ivheel 6 by ineens of e latch thrust spring v18 which isshovvn es encircling the reduced end porion of the latch-member 16 and contained within avrecess in the stero ing` crank 2.

Pivolbaiiy connected 1h19 is e leech retracting dog 2O having a clutch `fece 21,'vhich is'eccentric to theshaft 1, the

face 21 being formed' with a V-shaped groove preferably ronghened'or serrated es c@ the latch 163 shown et 22 to engage the V-shaped periphery 1A. of the stationary annulus 13. EX-

l tending from the dog QOis e headed stem Z3 armmd which is disposed a. coiled expansion spring 241- the latter exerting its tension to hold the dog 2O in engagement with the pe,- riphery of the ennulus' 13. '25 designates a catch or detent which is carried by the starting crank 2 and provided with a lip or projection 26 adapted to engage e keeper27 on the dog 2O when the letter isrmoved toward 'the' center'of the starting crank 2, the detent 26 serving to lock the 'dog 20 in rm 'engegem/eni with the annulus 13 to prevent any rengagementbetween the latch 16 and From the foregoing description, teken in connection `With the accompanying drewlngs, the operation of the cranking device will nowfbe` nnderstood. 'Whenvthe starting crank -2 is moved in e clockwise direction.

`.thelatch 16 is forced by means of the spring l18 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 6. The shaftl having nowbeen pushed inwardly by pressure against the' head 12 so as to cause an engagement between the clutch member 11l "and a corresponding clutch member' on the engine shaft, when the starting crank is turned in the proper direction, rotary 4motion is imparted to the cranking shaft l and to'the engine shaft.

"Should the `engine back fire or should the lengine shaft start to'turn in an antifclockwise direction, the dog 2 0 being in frictional engagement with the periphery of the stational-y annulus 13, will be moved toward the center of the starting crank and in such movement, by reason of the eccentricv disposition of thek clutch face 21' of the dog 20,

the latch '16 will 'be thrust out of 'engagement with the ratchet wheel 6 and the latch will be held locked in such inoperative posi.- tion by'the lip 26 of the catch 25 engaging the keeper or pin 27. Before operating-the starting crank again, the catch 25 Jis disengaged from the pin' or keeper 27 thus permitting the latch .16 to assume its operative relation to the ratchet wheel 6.

The mechanism hereinabove described is extremely simple in character, positive and reliable in operationand may be applied to machines now in use, and when so applied, and in actual use, it will prevent injury to the arm of the operator for the reason that the starting crank is automatically released as soon as the. engine shaft starts to turnl in the wrong direction.

Having .thus described my invention, `Il

. claim 1. The combination of an engine starting shaft, a ratchet w heel connected to said shaft to 'rotate therewith, a starting crank' jour# naled around said shaft as a center, a sliding latch member movable in a -rectilinear path and 4'carried by said starting crank,guiding means on said crank for said latch, a thrust spring for holding said latch normally in engagement with. said ratchet wheel, a sta:

tio'nary annulus, anda latch retracting do pivotall f attached at one end to the latch and having a clutch face at its other end eccentric to the starting shaft and held against' said annulus, saidY dog coacting with said retracting dog-pivotally attached at one end to the latch and having a clutch face at its other end eccentric to the starting shaft and held against said annulus,said dog coacting with said annulus in one direction otinovement of the starting crank to shift the latch` out ofengagement with said ratchet wheel, means for locking'said dog in latch retracting position, said means embodying a catch plvotally carried by the starting crank, and

a projection carried by the dog and adapted f to be engaged by said catch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUSTIN E. SLATTERY.

Witnesses EUGENE BENSON, T. BENSON. 

